A Dream Come True

Five Things You Need to Do Before You Get Chickens

This is it; the fulfillment of a long held dream!  This is the year I’m getting chickens!

When my kids were little and complained about chores, I’d share with them the types of chores farm kids needed to do every day, just to offer a little perspective on how easy we have it!  The example of feeding and watering chickens and collecting eggs took hold—in me!

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I’m a farm girl at heart.  I was blessed to move to a farm at the age of 12.  We raised hay and kept horses, had a large vegetable garden and fruit trees.  It was often hard work but I loved it.  For the past few years I’ve been trying to create a little of that farm life at my home in suburbia.

With the health and financial crises we’re facing today, some people may want to run out and get chicks to raise egg layers.  But I caution you to do your research first!  I’ve been reading books, attending workshops and seminars, talking with chicken owners. I’ve joined several online groups that can answer all the questions that will surely come up.  So I know that the chicks I pick up this week won’t lay eggs for months.  Hens can live for years after they stop laying, so I’m committed for the long haul to care for these birds and give them a decent life.

If you’re interested in chickens, there are five things you need to do before you get chickens.

Town Regulations

Every town is different.  Some may specify the number of hens you are allowed based on your zoning.  Most will say no to a rooster either directly or with a noise ordinance.  Some may require the coop to be a certain distance from houses.  Be sure to do your research.

Talk to Neighbors

Raising chickens should be a positive experience.  The last thing you want are neighbors who are annoyed about your hens.  My neighbors have been unanimously supportive!  I’ve already been given a bag full of egg cartons! Occasional free fresh eggs may help smooth any ruffled feathers (pun intended!) in your neighborhood.

Chickens 101?

Read books about chickens.  Study their anatomy, health and diseases. Be sure you know about splay legs, pasty butt and molting, to name a few! Look into different breeds and their behavior.  Find out what kind of feed to give them and what kitchen scraps are safe or not. Delve into types of bedding and litter.  Investigate how to provide predator protection. Study different coop and run designs. I attended poultry seminars, talked with chicken owners in person and through Facebook, and have read many articles on specific issues that I’ve saved to my Pinterest account.

Over time I look forward to sharing much of this information with you.  I just need to gain the experience to go with the book knowledge!

The Coop

Even if you are starting with baby chicks, I recommend having your coop ready beforehand.  The chicks won’t move into the coop until they’re fully feathered at about 6 to 8 weeks of age.  But that time can go very quickly and you don’t want teenage hens running around your house while you’re frantically building! 

We’ve been upcycling our coop out of an old play set a friend took down, along with plywood I found by someone’s curb with a free sign on it!  We may not have the finishing touches done by the time we put the coop in service, but the chickens won’t care if it’s not painted or doesn’t have nesting boxes right away.

In addition to the coop, we’re making a run out of wood and hardware cloth, which is really a metal mesh.  We’re using ¼ inch hardware cloth to keep out small rodents and wild birds as well as raccoons and hawks. Chicken wire, as it turns out, does not provide the protection chickens need.

The Brooder

Before I pick up the chicks, I need to have my brooder all set.  This is basically a box the chicks will live in until they’re ready for the coop.  It can be cardboard (not my preference since it’s flammable) or plastic or metal.  I’ll be keeping the chicks warm, at 95 degrees F to start, with a heat lamp. Each week I’ll adjust the height of the lamp to lower the temperature by 5 degrees for the maturing chicks.  I plan to pick up a second bulb to keep on hand because if one bulb blows and the chicks get cold, they will die!  The brooder will also house the chick feeder and waterer, and an inch or so of pine shaving bedding which I need to keep clean and dry. Oh, and I’ll need to keep them behind a closed door to keep our curious cats away!

Pictures and Videos Coming!

Please check back regularly to see pictures of the baby chicks and watch them grow here!  My heart is so full to be blessed with this dream-come-true and I’m happy to share the joy with you!

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